"Jenny! Jenny!" someone cried from a distance. This was followed by urgent whispers and then escalated to a full-blown shout. Jenny cursed. Well, I never used to curse aloud; I guess Julian did have his influence she thought. Resignedly, she lifted her head up, her golden hair sweeping her table. Jenny turned to yell at Audrey to shut the hell up when she noticed the entire class at Paramount Junior High looking rather awkwardly at her. Oh, God. Audrey gave her a sideways look as if to say I told you so and the lecturer at the front of the auditorium smirked. "As I was saying, Miss Thornton, what triggers love? May I have your opinions on that matter?" The class swiveled their heads back to look at her. "Shit, this is not a topic you want to ask," Audrey whispered, looking at Jenny from the corner of her eye. Jenny knew her face was about as red as a tomato but she didn't have anything to say. Instead, she said "I don't know. I haven't had much experience in that department." Tom managed to give a rather subtle glare at her.
After all, Jenny had broken up with him two weeks after returning from their last game with Julian and honestly, he wasn't taking it very well. Jenny broke her attention from Tom. "But what is your personal perception of love?" the lecturer persisted. Jenny gulped. "I think, I thinkā¦I think love is deadly," Jenny got out. The lecturer raised an eyebrow. He made a hand motion as if to say 'explain'. Jenny felt tears come to her eyes at once. "Obsessive love can lead to dangerous games. And it isn't the person who is loved who dies, but the one who is obsessed." Jenny looked up. She definitely had the whole class's attention now. "Continue please."
Jenny didn't have to look to know who it was now. "And in the end, nobody wins. Because the obsessed loses his life and the loved is justā¦heartbroken."
"But wouldn't that be good for the loved one, getting rid of her problem?" No, because her life will never ever be whole again. Was what Jenny wanted to say. In the end, what came out was just "I guess you're right." The lecturer nodded. For the rest of the lesson, Jenny stared down at her table while twirling the ring around her neck. Julian's ring. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Ever since Julian had given up his life for her, she was filled with this vast emptiness that could not be filled. At first, Tom tried to make her forget about all that had happened and her friends stuck close by her side. But ever since Jenny broke up with Tom, everybody whom she had depended on drifted away. She was on her own. And for the first time in her life, she wanted somebody to be there. Even if it was Julian.
And then came a plan which Jenny couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried. The rest of the class's discussion was drowned out by the perilous thoughts of her own. It was a risk she was willing to take.
